Pessary



Jan. 10, 1950 F. M, BLE 2,494,226

PESSARY Filed Aug. 7, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet l F. M. BLEY Jan. 10, 1950 PESSARY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 7, 1946 Patented Jan. 10, 1950 PESSARY Fred M. Bley, Chicago, Ill., assignor to David E. Yeoman and Florence Yeoman, St. Charles, Ill.

Application August 7, 1946, Serial No. 688,824

2 Claims. (01. 128-131) This invention relates to pessaries and is in the nature of an improvement on the device shown and described in my prior Patent No. 1,917,870, dated July 11, 1933.

The principal object of the present invention is to improve on the construction of pessaries in general, to improve upon the shape thereof, and to provide an improved connection between the body portion thereof and the end plate.

Another object is to eliminate the use of s01- der or other brazing material for connecting the body portion to the end plate. 1 Another object is to enclose the connecting means in the end plate so that there shall be no likelihood of injury to the patient from the connecting means.

With these and other objects and advantages in View, this invention consists in the several novel features of construction, arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter fully described, and more particularly defined in the appended claims.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a side elevation of a pessary embodying a simple form of the present invention, and illustrating its application in a uterus.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the inner member of the end plate, illustrating its shape at one stage of its formation.

Fig. 3 is a cross-section taken on the level 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the member seen in Fig. 2, but illustrating the same in a more developed form;

Fig. 5 is a cross-section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the outer member of the end plate;

Fig. 7 is a cross-section taken on the line 'l-'! of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the body member of the device, illustrating the same at one state of its construction;

Fig. 9 is a similar view of the completed body member;

Fig. "10 is a fragmental longitudinal section of one end portion of the body member;

Fig. 10 is a plan or the end coils seen in Fig. 10; q

Fig. 11 is a view partly in side elevatiofijiid partly in vertical cross-sectionof affr'agment of the body member and the'inne'r m'eniber'of the end plate, illustrating the connecting means between the two;

Fig. 12 is an end elevation in Fig. 11; and v Fig. 13 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in central longitudinal section of the completed device. 7 a

- Figs. 2 to 13 are upon'enlarged'scales. 1 I Referring to said drawings, which are merely illustrative of one embodiment "of the invention, the reference" character l5 designates the inner member of an end plate It (see Figs.'1,4, 5; 11 and 13) and l! designates the outer'member-of the end plate (see Figs. 6, 7, and 13).

In the course of forming the inner member 15, a blank is given the form illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3Qpreferably with suitable forming dies. The blank is dished and formed with a marginal flange I 8. Subsequently the dished part of the member I5 is drawn deeper (see Fig. 5) and is pierced centrally to form an aperture I 9," and the metal around the aperture is extruded to form a neck 20, which is notched inwardly from the edge to form ears'2l.

The outer member I! of the endplate It also dished, and is centrally apertured as at 22, and a bail23 is struck up from the metal of the outer member in an inward direction andbridges the aperture 22. The bail provides means whereby a suitable inserting instrument may be used for inserting and removing the pessary into and from the uterine cavity. In the completed device, the flange I8 is clenched upon the. edge portion of the outer member l1, thereby uniting the two members, as seen in Fig. 13.

The body member 24 of the device is formed of a filament of flexible material such as wire, wound into helical form to provide the wall of a hollow body member of which the convolutions or coils are spaced apart slightly to enable secretions to enter the interior of the body member and be discharged through the apertured end plate [6.

The major portion 25 of the body member may be formed with a flaring base portion 26 from which the body. member may taper slightly toof the parts seen ward its other end, at 26 it bulges outward slightly and its end portion 21 is made substantially conical to facilitate insertion of the device into the uterine cavity.

In constructing the body member, the ends 28, 29 (see Fig. 8) may be left projecting from the ends of the body member. Subsequently the end 28 is turned into the adjacent open end of the conical portion and bent down with its extremity, terminating within the next adjacent coil, as seen in Figs. and 0 to provide a smooth end for the conical end portion 21. The protrudihg 'end 29 i'sicut oil toleave an endicoil 30, which is 'employed for connecting the body member with the inner member of the end plate.

In assembling the body member 26 with the inner plate member [5, the end coil 3i! is inserted from the concave side;- through an' aper-- ture 3| in the dished wall of the inner plate member, and is turned around the neck of the inner plate member. ears 2| are then curled over the end coil and clenched down upon it, thereby securely fasten-- ing the body member and inner plate member together;

Subsequently the 'two end plate members are assembled by placing. the marginal edge portion ofthe outenplate member I! against the'convex side of the inner plate member l5; and with suitable dies the flange I8 is clenched down upon the marginal edge portion ofthe outer plate members (see. Fig. 13) thereby rigidly fastening the. two' plate? members together. toform. the complete end plate Hi.

It is tome: observedithatthe connecting. means between. therbody member and end.- plate are whollwcontained in the crescent like cavity. be;- tweenthetwo-plate members, andthat the use of solderror other brazing: material for connecting; the body member. to the: endplate iseliminated.

The: device must be madein various sizes" to accommodate different sizes of organs encountered in variouspatients; and l the bulge 26 must bBrOf'. such diameter, and-so located with'respect tolength: and shape; that it passes the internal Os 1 and fitssnugly into the uterine cavity while the end platecontacts the vaginalpart'of the cervix;

The: material of the coiled-stem": must have a moderate degree of flexibilityinorder topermit adaption. to a malformed uterine tract, thereby eliminating-,thetrauma which the. sudden correction of a-rigid stem would cause. Notwithstanding. thewdeformation, the resiliency of the may. member will constantlytend to.straighten its axis, and'suchtendency. may cause a lessening ofthe flexion and deformation of the tract in. a. great many. patients. In many cases the degree ofthe deformation of the'uterine tract may, not be'suflicient' to call forcorrection; but it'nevertheless'will maintain patency of themtire uterine-tract and prevent the collapsing of the uterinewalls.

'Ihe=entire devicei's made of anon-corrosive, nonoxidizing material; consequently it is not afleotedlby uterine' or vaginal secretions,"- regardless of: the: length of time the device may be appliediinisitu. Howevenindications call'for a maximumrduration of application of the menstrual cycle, after which the removal oithedevice is=indicatedz The body being! in the form: of ahelically coiled':member,.it may. berinsertedlafterprelimi- Withsuitable dies,- the.

nary sounding and dilatation into the uterus by rotating the body member in a clockwise direction with a suitable inserting instrument, and may be removed by rotating it in a contra-clockwise direction.

It has been found through extensive clinical investigation, that certain patients have considerable plicapalmata formation and folds of the cervical canal, which tend to obstruct and hinder the free passage of the coiled stem, when rotated into or removed from, the uterine tract. Furthermore, in surgical procedures, such as Hyamsconization orJCoagulation.of the Cervix or Cautery, newlyoperated areas when brought in contact with the helical stem, may reach through the spacings of the stem and have a tendency to grow together. If this does occur, the shape of the tip of the stem is of paramount importance to permit, through contra-clockwise'rotation, the removal of the stem. If the very end ofthe stem is tucked in, then a laceratingeffectoccurs, forcing the tip to cut circles into the mucosa located in the core of the: spiral. If, however, the end of the wire is not tucked downward, but only in the height of the last coil with ample spacing at its end and all around it, then no harm can be created, aseach succeeding coil follows the tract left by the previous coil.

Asa further explanation, it would be clearest to imagine a helical spring cut at the tip without bending'the' wire'endat all. Such-a spiral would be-the simplest to remove from the standpoint of contra-clockwise rotation. However, such spiral would do damageiftit'were rotated in situ in a clockwise rotation. The tissues and mucosa which would be found insthe-core of the spiral are'pliable and have sufiicient elasticity so'that a'mild squeezing': action, resultant from the somewhat narrower spacing at the tip' of the coil, would not result in laceration or trauma.

From the above, it is-apparent that I'have provideda pessary of novel and improved construction, composed of few parts, easily assembled, all connected together without the use of solder'or other brazing material.

Having thus described my invention, it is obvious that various immaterial modifications may be made in the samewithout departing from the spirit of myinvention; hence, I do not wish to be understood as-limiting myself to the exact form, construction, arrangement and combination of parts herein shown anddescribed or'uses mentioned.

What I claim as'new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. As an improved article of manufacture, a, pessary, comprising. a helically Wound filament of flexible material forming the wall of a hollow body member, havinga flaring base and having at its other end a bulged portion terminating in a substantially conical endportion, a centrally apertured dished disc formed with curled ears at and aroundthe aperture inthe disc, the end coil at the other end of the body member extending through an aperture in said disc to the convex: side thereof and being clenched over by said ears. and a second centrally apertured dished disc" covering saidend coil and ears, with its marginal edge secured to the first mentioned disc.

2. As an improved article of manufacture, a pessary, comprising a" hplically wound filament of flexible material forming the wall of a hol-' low body member, having at one end a bulged portion terminating in a substantially conical end portion, a centrally apertured flanged dished disc formed with curled ears at and around the aperture in the disc, the end coil at the other end of the body member extending through an aperture in said disc to the convex side thereof and being clenched over by said ears, and a second centrally .apertured dished disc covering said end coil and ears, with its marginal edge secured to the first mentioned disc by the flange of the first mentioned disc.

FRED M. BLEY.

6 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Nuinber I Name Date 1,348,728 Martocci-Pisculli Aug. 3, 1920 Bley July 11, 1933 OTHER REFERENCES 

